Pablo Sandoval Needs To Change

February 25, 2016

Pablo Sandoval Needs To Change

Heading into this year’s MLB season, the Boston Red Sox needed Pablo Sandoval to perform well to have a chance at competing in the American League East and to compete for a playoff spot. However, Sandoval is already causing concern with the team due to his work ethic and conditioning habits that seem to be lacking. Now, instead of getting into a rhythm before the MLB season kicks off, Pablo Sandoval needs to make massive changes before he can be in a position to get into the swing of things.

Pablo Sandoval’s Weight Issues

When MLB teams start their spring training processes, they expect their players to come in in good enough physical condition to do whatever is asked of them by the club. The Boston Red Sox are no exception to that, but Pablo Sandoval is far from where he needs to be from a weight perspective since his arrival to Red Sox spring training. This is a problem for the Boston Red Sox and Sandoval for a number of reasons.

First of all, it is a clear sign that Sandoval is not taking things as seriously as he should, which is troubling in a sport like baseball where it is so hard to remain focus for the full 162 game season. It is also troubling to the Boston Red Sox organization, as they are in a position where Sandoval is clearly not respecting the club enough to come to work at a respectable playing weight. This disrespect on multiple levels by Sandoval is cause for serious concern for their team heading into April.

What Boston Red Sox Should Do

The next logical question is what the Boston Red Sox should do about this situation involving Pablo Sandoval. There are a number of options that they can take, but they all come with their own set of positives and negatives that could damage not just Sandoval’s relationship with the team, but the team’s chance at competing at the top of MLB until he is gone and the team is back to focusing on their play on the field.

Option one involving Sandoval would be to bench him until he is at a proper weight and in a better physical condition. While that would send a message to Sandoval and the rest of the team that discipline is not optional on the Boston Red Sox, it could upset Sandoval and start a divide between the players and club management. However, it could be a beneficial idea if done correctly and if the ban would be lifted as soon as Sandoval improved.

Another choice is to let him play, which would be better for the team on the field, as Sandoval is really one of the elite players in Major League Baseball. This plan would lead to more wins, but would also send the message that discipline and physical prowess is not fully mandatory if you are good enough. That is a dangerous game to play if you are the Red Sox, who can’t afford any more distractions after a terrible 2015 campaign in which they were one of the worse teams in the American League.